


Team Heslege-Ruewen

by TheDarkChocolateLord



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Canon Compliant, Elwin and Jolie were besties and I will die on this hill, Fluff, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:28:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29255979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkChocolateLord/pseuds/TheDarkChocolateLord
Summary: Elwin and Jolie give the verminion a bath.Starring: FLOOFY THE VERMINIONOther characters: Elwin Heslege, Jolie "Shannon please bring her back" Ruewen, Grady "Dinosaur Dad" Ruewen,  Jackalope Who Almost Becomes a Snackalope
Relationships: Jolie Ruewen & Elwin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	Team Heslege-Ruewen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [akki_the_immortal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akki_the_immortal/gifts).



"You really don't have to do this," Jolie warned Elwin. "It's going to get messy."

"I like messy."

"If you want to back out, I understand."

"I'm ready for this."

"Nobody is ever ready for this."

"Jolie—it's just bathing the verminion! How bad can it be?"

"You will regret those words." Jolie switched back to a normal tone of voice. "Thanks for doing this with me."

"No problem," Elwin grinned. "Though, if I ever become a Mentor….I am going to  _ choose  _ reekrod when it's my turn to pick the flavor of the DNA strip."

"You wouldn't," Jolie gasped.

That prank had been one of their best; they'd painted the locker DNA sensors of various bullies with reekrod, and the resulting expressions were  _ priceless _ . Jolie  _ still _ didn't know how Dame Alina had figured out that it was them, but the principal had sent a note home to Grady and Edaline, and now Jolie was stuck giving the verminion a bath.

"Are you also in trouble?" Jolie wondered.

"My parents are so busy with Emissary stuff and with getting Declan ready for the elite levels that they barely noticed." Before Jolie could say anything, Elwin cut her off. "It's fine. How was your weekend?"

She unlocked the stone building, knowing better than to push the subject of Elwin's parents. "I picked up my match packet."

"I can probably fill it out for you," Elwin grinned, picking up a bucket and sponge. "Sexuality: Omnisexual with a preference for Brant. Traits I want in a potential partner: Brant. Traits I do not want in a potential partner: Anyone but Brant. Things I would enjoy doing with my partner: Sharing a pet gremlin, like I do with Brant—"

Jolie ignored them and grabbed a sack of cravettels, seeds the verminion liked, from a shelf. "This should be good. What's our strategy?"

"What strategy is there?" Elwin wondered as they made their way to the verminion's enclosure. "We get in, get out, and try not to get eaten."

"Clearly, you have not experienced the wonders of verminion bathing before. There was one time when she almost broke the gate–"

"I'm getting nervous."

"At least nobody got hurt." Jolie set down her supplies. "I'll go inside with snacks to calm Floofy down."

"Excellent name."

If this had been anyone  _ but  _ Elwin, Jolie would have assumed sarcasm, but he sounded surprisingly genuine. "Thanks. Do you want to to soap or spray?"

"Spray." 

"Cool. While you're rinsing, I can grab the towels, and then comes the nightmare that is drying."

"Okay….if you promise that she's not going to eat me or anything."

"You can always back out."

"Never." Elwin grabbed the hose. "Do you want soapy water?"

"Please." Jolie squirted soap into her bucket. 

The soaping and spraying went moderately well; as Elwin hosed off the last of the suds, Jolie stepped outside the enclosure and grabbed the towels.

Floofy slipped out of Elwin's hands and raced for the gate— _ she had left the gate open. _

_ "FLOOFY! _ " Jolie yelled, dropping the towels and sprinting. "Get back here!"

Elwin followed. "Is there anything I can—"

"Get the cravettels, we can use those to lure her back!" Jolie took off across the pastures as Elwin raced for the stone building.

She still had a handful of the blue-gray seeds in her pocket, which she took out as she ran. "Floofy!"

The verminion ignored her and kept charging, all the way to where her parents were fixing the fence on the jackalope enclosure—if one of the jackalopes became a Floofy snack—

"I have treats!" Jolie shouted, throwing the seeds towards the verminion.

Floofy barely noticed, too intent on the jackalopes. 

Jolie channeled energy to her legs.  _ Closer. Closer. _

"I've got them!" Elwin yelled, holding up the sack of cravettels. Ahead, a jackalope squeaked through the fence; Floofy raced for it and—

_ SPLAT! _

Elwin tripped over a rock, bag exploding on the ground in a shower of blue-gray. 

Floofy sprinted for the cravettels, disregarding the jackalope; Edaline grabbed the jackalope just before it could race for the surplus of snacks.

"Elwin!" Jolie called. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Elwin gestured towards Floofy, who was devouring the entire bag of cravettels. "Um, how do I—"

"I've got this," Grady yelled, flinging a clod of turf at Floofy. It worked; the verminion rumbled towards him and Grady ran towards the enclosure, Floofy hot on his heels.

Jolie scooped up a handful of the spit-coated seeds from the ground and followed the two of them, weaving through a maze of pastures and enclosures until they reached the gate. As Grady darted inside, Jolie flung her handful of seeds into the center of the pen. They hit the mark; Floofy wolfed them down as Grady slipped outside and locked the door.

Elwin appeared beside her. "That. Was. Awesome." 

"Great job, both of you," Grady exhaled, still panting from the run. "I think you can skip drying—it's a warm day, and the running seems to have shaken the water off of her fur."

"Operation Floofy Bath: Complete!" Jolie declared. She struck a pose, which would have looked a lot more impressive if she wasn't covered head to toe in purple fur.

Elwin grinned. "Team Hesledge-Ruewen strikes again."

  
  



End file.
